The Fine Art of Betrayal
by ShadowHunter2000
Summary: Side Story to Chains of the Past. Watch your back, for some see it as a bullseye for the knife.


The Fine Art of Betrayal

Side Story to Chains of the Past

A Ranma ½ Story

Prologue

A/N: I decided to write this to help show the backstory to Chains of the Past. Hope everyone likes it.

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Ranma looked at he ruins of the dojo still in shock about everything that had transpired. He didn't know if he should feel anger, sadness, happiness, or anything else. He didn't want to get married to Akane yet. He was still shocked that he was able to admit that he loved her. He was mad at everyone who came and nearly killed him, Akane, and his family.

The only person he had thought would go as far as trying to kill Akane was Shampoo. Her laws, as far as Ranma understood, wouldn't have it any other way. Mousse's reaction was also expected, but a part of Ranma thought Mousse would have helped him get married to Akane to make it difficult, if not impossible, for Shampoo to claim him as a husband.

The Kunos, Tatewaki and Kodachi, he expected to fly off the handle with the way they think, but to go that far, he didn't fully expect. Sure they were insane, but not murderously insane. Even when Kodachi ambushed the other girls to make them forfeit their matches, she didn't kill them. Tatewaki wanted to beat him, not kill him, at least Ranma thought.

The two Ranma was very disappointed in were Ukyo and Ryoga. Ever since Ryoga was growing closer to Akari, Ranma had more of a rivalry than a feud with Ryoga. Sure they still fought each other often, but the blood lust wasn't there. The fight at the wedding saw the return of Ryoga's utter rage. That fight alone contributed to a large part of the damage that was sustained by the house and dojo.

Ukyo… Ranma never felt such betrayal by anyone until then. His best friend came to the wedding and started throwing exploding okonomiyaki everywhere trying to… Ranma didn't want to think about what she was trying to do. Shampoo, he could and did expect it, Kodachi, it was a bit of a stretch, but Ucchan, his friend, the one he went to when he had problems…

Ranma continued to stare at the damage, deciding on the emotion to feel. He didn't feel sad, nowhere near it. Confused… a little, but it wasn't the dominate one at the moment. Angry… no, not a strong enough word. Pissed… no, but closer. Rage… pure, utter rage… that sounded just right. The problem was he had no one around to release such a strong urge to destroy anything. The dojo was in ruins and all the offenders were gone, including Happosai, who had drunk his only cure for his curse. With only one option left he took in a large breath.

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Nabiki yelped as she heard Ranma's rage filled roar coming from the direction of the now destroyed dojo. Nabiki knew Ranma had every right to feel what he felt. Nabiki had sent out the invitations to the wedding in hopes that Ranma's other fiancés and rivals would ruin it. Unfortunately they went too far overboard and now she had to deal with the consequences for that. She knew her father and Akane would start moaning about not having a dojo. That would bring Father's waterworks and Akane's anger, things that caused more damage to the house. Nabiki knew Kasumi would help calm Akane and Father, but Nabiki wasn't sure how long Kasumi would be able to do that before things got out of hand.

The big question was how to pay for the repairs. The funds were getting low just with the wedding. Father had spent nearly everything they had in the family account on the wedding. Nabiki still had her emergency stash for bills and food that would last three months, even with the Saotome's appetites, but rebuilding a dojo wasn't cheap, plus the repairs to the house was more than usual. The income from her investments and her extra-curricular activities would allow money to go to the repairs, but it wouldn't be fast. In fact, it would take at least a year to gather that much money. Of course she had not gone out yet to get appraisals for the cost of repairs, but she had been paying for all the repairs for the house and it didn't take a genius to do the calculations based off of past dealings.

Nabiki sighed as she stood up from her desk. She had phone calls to make, none of them promising to give her good news.

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Akane ignored Ranma's yell while she stood in front of the only mirror not broken in the house. She was still in her wedding dress, tears and all. She stood there, extremely upset. If you listed all the bad days she ever had, including the day Tatewaki Kuno declared that stupid proclamation about having to beat her in a fight in order to date her, this day would top it all.

It wasn't the fact that she didn't want to marry Ranma. She didn't know where she stood with him. She swore up and down that Ranma said that he loved her as he held her at Jusendo. She could see herself with Ranma ten years down the road, after Ranma had some changes done of course.

It was the fact that everyone around her believed they could make her do what they wanted. As she looked in the mirror, she could see her father demanding to marry Ranma over and over again, not caring what she felt about it. Her own father was treating her like a piece of property, and Akane didn't like that at all. She could see Kuno making his proclamation, and instead of the other males of the school blowing him off, they followed Kuno's stupid, self-centered ass. They didn't care how she felt about the situation. They just started attacking her everyday before school. And she was glad none of them succeeded, because she was afraid what would happen if one of them actually did win, and demanded his date. It was not something she wanted to think about.

In the mirror, she could see Happosai making his remark about not letting a woman inherit his school. She could Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi ruining her wedding, saying she didn't have any right marrying Ranma. All four of them were mocking her, pointing out her every weakness. Her cooking, her sewing, her swimming, her lack of skill in her art, everything they could think of.

Watching these things made her blood boil. They wouldn't leave her alone. No matter where, they wouldn't leave her alone. Lately, they have been in her dreams as well, never giving her a moment's peace. And she didn't like that at all. It was her life, not theirs, and her resolve solidifies. She would regain control, one way or another.

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Genma and Soun sat at the dining room table, reflecting upon the ruined wedding. "We were so close Saotome."

Genma nodded. "Indeed Soun."

Soun snubbed out the cigarette he was smoking. "Ranma needs to resolve his other obligations and soon. Until then it will be too dangerous to try another marriage."

Genma nodded again. "Indeed Soun."

Soun sighed. "Why couldn't you raise him better Saotome? Instead of staying with Akane, he fought the Hibiki boy while in his tuxedo. Didn't you teach him any obedience?"

"I also taught him to never turn down a challenge, Tendo, and that is one of the primary foundations of our school." Genma smirked. "Willing to fight even if it meant ruing the wedding he wants. I'm actually impressed."

"You may be impressed, Husband, but I am not."

Genma turned towards the door where Nodoka was standing. "Hello dear," he said while nervous.

Nodoka glared at Genma. "We are leaving now. We need to have a talk."

Genma gulped as he stood. "Yes dear."

A/N: This story will not be as long as Chains of the Past. I am guessing about fifteen chapters, enough for me to finish a few things while opening others that will carry over.

Questions, Comments, Concerns, Complaints, let me know. Take a look at my profile page to see what's going on with my other stories.


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